Throwing the Knife

❊ Chapter 4 ❊

Alyssa sat at the dining table set for six. Her mother sat at the end of the table on her left and Tristan was seated across from her. All three had different postures. Her mother sat up straight, chin up, hands neatly on top of each other in her lap. Tristan was tense, and his hands hung at his sides as fists. Meanwhile, Alyssa sat slouched down, legs crossed, and arms crossed over her chest. The monster in her from before had seemingly disappeared and her face was revealing nothing but boredom.

The minutes leading up to that point had been spent in silence, a polar opposite to the whistling of knives and winds from earlier. Out of habit, Alyssa moved a hand up to run it through her hair, only to remember at the last second before she messed it up that it was already in a neat bun. She drop her hand and crossed her arms again, glancing from Tristan to her mother before sighing.

“Okay, I don’t know what’s going on here, but one of you must. Explanation, por favor?”

Tristan looked confused at her little spanish endeavor but made no comment on it. Her mother saw his look and laughed, but seeing how serious Alyssa was she stopped and frowned.  

“I’m sorry, honey, I know this must be confusing for you. Tristan here,” she gestured to him as he gave her his full attention, “Tristan is my si-” Anastasia caught herself and backtracked. “I know him.”

Alyssa bit a laugh. “Obviously.”

The sarcastic remark earned her a disapproving look that made her want to slouch down even more, this time not out of comfort but out of fear. Her mother shared the striking green eyes, though they were at least a few shades darker than Alyssa’s. They also had the same red hair, but the daughter’s was brighter in that aspect too. In reality, Alyssa was simply a younger, brighter version of her mother, but the metaphor did not go as far as their personalities.

“I know him, and as of this moment, you need not know any more.” The harsh tone from her mother shocked Alyssa. Disregarding her daughter’s startled face, Anastasia turned back to Tristan, any and all emotions from earlier wiped off her face.

“So, Tristan, what brings you to this side of town?”

He raised an eyebrow before remembering it was quite rude to doubt her. Even so, he asked, “This side of town?”

“Just go with it.”

He was slightly confused by her request but went along with it. “I am here because... I...” He didn’t know how to explain. Alysshandra was clearly--for an unknown reason--oblivious to the situation. “I am here because I was told that a rider was recently found.”

If Anastasia had any less control over her emotions, the two teenagers would have been able to see the shock, fear, and anger. “A rider... Well, no issue then. It must have been a false alarm. I haven’t heard of any new to town.”

“A rider?”

Both heads turned to the voice that had interrupted them. Alyssa sat there slightly upset, slightly annoyed, and completely lost. What on Earth are they talking about?

“Um...” Tristan began, as he searched for the right words to say.

“Horse riders.”

Tristan’s eyes widened slightly as he looked at Anastasia, but he instantly turned back to view Alysshandra’s expression.

“Horse riders?” She repeated in disbelief.

“Yes, horse riders. You know your aunt Lucy, right? She recently bought a farm and is looking for people to take care of the horses.”

“Oh, um, okay. Why did she buy a farm?” Alyssa didn’t wait for a response. “Oh, whatever. I’ve seen her, what, once? And I was, like, three. I don’t even remember her.”

As easily as Tristan could see through Anastasia’s lie, it didn’t surprise him that Alysshandra couldn’t. He knew Lucinda. And as much as the princess knew her too, it made sense that she had no memory of it. He also knew that the words that the girl just said would have nearly killed ‘Lucy,’ had she heard them.

Alyssa felt that the conversation was going nowhere, so she pushed herself away from the table and stood. “Well, I have better things to do, so I’m going now. Mom, call me out for dinner, please. And you.” She let her eyes finally meet Tristan’s. “You...”

As her voice grew hostile her mother quieted her. “Lyssa.” Her warning tone was evident and as Alyssa grimaced Tristan smirked.

“Nice to meet you.” Alyssa forced out. She turned and left the room. Heading up the stairs and towards her room at the end of the hall. As she went to close the door behind her a voice followed up the stairs.

“My pleasure!”

Tristan had responded. That was the first time he had addressed her since they came in the house. The only conversation before had been a little refresher talk between her mother and the unwanted intruder. She walked back out as silently as she could, still scaring herself with the fact that she could be virtually undetectable. Silent as the hour before the dawn, but dark as the dusk that inevitably follows.

Alyssa made it back to the top of the stairs and not daring to go any closer strained her ears to hear.

“Your High- No, Anastasia. Why aren’t you telling her?”

“She doesn’t need to know right now.”

“You’re afraid.”

“Tristan! No. I am not afraid. I am not. I... I’m terrified.”